Georgia Business Name Search

Before you form a limited liability company (LLC), register a trade name, or start a corporation, you’ll need to complete a business name search with the Georgia Business Search tool to see if your name is unique.

In our Georgia Business Name Search guide, we’ll show you exactly how to check LLC name availability in Georgia.

How to Check if Your Georgia LLC Name Is Available

Checking if your desired LLC name is available involves a few key steps, such as ensuring your business name follows state requirements and performing a domain name and state search. These are the steps you need to take to determine if your business name is available in Georgia. 

1. Follow LLC Naming Rules

Before you perform an LLC name search, you need to make sure your business name follows the state’s business name requirements. 

Some key guidelines for Georgia LLC names include:

• Your name must include the phrase “Limited Liability Company,” “Limited Company,” or the abbreviation “L.L.C.,” “LLC,” “L.C.,” or “LC.”
• Your name must be distinguishable from any existing business in the state. This includes Georgia reserved names.

Keep an eye out for restricted words. These words, such as “FBI” or “Treasury,” are often restricted to keep your LLC from sounding like an official institution.

Georgia also has the following restrictions for LLC names:

• Your name can’t contain language implying the LLC is organized for an unlawful purpose or one not stated in its Articles of Organization. It also can’t include anything the Secretary of State determines is obscene.
• Your name can’t exceed 80 characters.
• Your name can’t use the words “insurance,” “assurance,” “surety,” “fidelity,” “reinsurance,” “reassurance,” or “indemnity” without approval from the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner.
• Your name can’t use the words “bank,” “banc,” “banque,” “banker,” “banking company,” “banking house,” “bancorp,” “bankruptcy,” “credit union,” “savings & loan,” “trust,” or “trust company” without approval from the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance.
• Your name can’t use the words “college” or “university” without approval from the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission.

For more information, check out Georgia’s name availability standards.

Distinguishability

It’s important your name be distinguishable from all other business names. In Georgia, a distinguishable name is one that’s substantively different from all other existing or reserved business names in the state.

The following differences do NOT make a name distinguishable in Georgia:

• Articles at the beginning of a name (e.g., “the,” “a,” “an,” etc.)
• Business suffixes (e.g., “LLC,” “Inc.,” etc.)
• The word “and” and the ampersand symbol “&”
• Punctuation
• Plural forms of words
• Abbreviations
• Phonetic differences in spelling

Failure to use a distinguishable name could result in the rejection of your formation filing.

2. Search for LLC Names in Georgia

The Peach State requires LLC names to be easily distinguishable from existing businesses. You can check your business name availability by searching the Georgia Business Search online database.

3. Check Available Domain Names

When choosing a business name, you’ll need to find out whether or not a good web domain name is available. Having a URL that clearly matches your business name is important. This small step can make a big difference in how prospective customers find your business.

The best way to determine if your desired URL is available is to search for it using your preferred domain registry, such as GoDaddy.

What if my LLC name is already taken? Our free AI-powered LLC name generator will give you thousands of new ideas.

4. Conduct a Trademark or Service Mark Search

Ensure your brand’s uniqueness through a meticulous trademark search. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website provides a comprehensive database to check for existing trademarks. Remember, your LLC name’s availability in your state doesn’t guarantee it’s free from trademark infringement. For professional help, explore our curated list of trademark services for new businesses.

5. Reserve Your LLC Name

You may reserve your LLC name in Georgia for up to 30 days before you officially register it with the state. This prevents other businesses from registering your name until you have the opportunity to register it yourself. 

You can file a name reservation online or by mail with the Georgia Secretary of State. The filing fee is $25 online or $35 by mail.

6. Form Your Georgia LLC 

Georgia entrepreneurs can form an LLC by submitting Articles of Organization to the Secretary of State. This filing officially establishes your business entity in the Peach State. Your Articles of Organization must include the LLC’s name and effective date. Georgia also requires you to provide the name of one LLC organizer, member, manager, or attorney-in-fact.

Georgia LLC Name Search FAQ

Georgia Business Resources